How to go back to sleep in the middle of the night

You have experienced this situation before. You wake up in the middle of the night, and you desperately want to go back to sleep. “I’ve got a full-on day tomorrow, and  I need all the rest that I can get”, you anxiously remind yourself. You toss and turn hoping that you will transition into a deep slumber, only to realise that it’s just wishful thinking. You have been through this before, so you know that deep sleep will be hard to come by anytime soon or it may not come at all.

There is a common, widespread myth that “if you wake up in the middle of the night and can’t go back to sleep, you should just stay in bed”. If you are able to stay relaxed in bed, experts would agree that staying in bed may help you fall back asleep.  However, if you feel anxious, agitated and/or tense because of your inability to drift back off, sleep experts suggest that you should desist from trying so hard.

If 20 minutes have gone by and you are still unable to fall asleep, then you should get up and do something else. The reason behind this is that your brain thrives on making associations. This means that if night after night you stay awake for long periods in bed, your brain will quickly learn that your bed is a place where you should be awake.

Some people find it hard to follow this advise because they think they are sacrificing precious sleep time by getting up and anxiety levels may rise, but what you have to understand is that you need to start training your brain again to relearn the association with your bedroom being about sleep rather than wakefulness.

If you decide to follow this evidence-based advise, these are a few recommendations on what to do when you get up in the middle of the night:

1.-Meditate for at least 10 minutes.- Go to another room, sit down and meditate. Meditation will quiet your mind and will slow down the fight-or-flight mechanisms of your nervous system (which are mainly responsible for insomnia).

2.-Perform deep breathing techniques.- Most deep breathing techniques aimed at calming down your nervous system will do the trick. My favourite one is referred to as the 4-7-8 technique. Inhale through your nose for a count of 4, hold your breath for a count of 7, and exhale through your mouth for a count of 8. Repeat this cycle up to 6 times only.

3.-Read something light.- Go to another room and read a short story, a light novel or anything that has a calming effect on you. Stay away from the news, heavy fiction, work-related material, dense poetry, etc., since some of this material will require increased levels of attention. Make sure NOT to turn on the light and use a clip-on lamp that you can attach your book or magazine.

4.-Do not eat.-Digesting food in the middle of the evening will definitely interfere with your natural sleep cycle. Besides, eating in the middle of the night may contribute to weight gain, abnormal cholesterol levels, alterations in blood sugar regulations, altered hormone function and inflammation.

5.-Stay away from digital devices.- Digital devices radiate blue-light which upon contact with your retina triggers brain activity and halts the secretion of melatonin (the hormone responsible for inducing sleep).  If you decide to read, stick to old-fashioned paper.

Put your healthy anxiety to good use

Some time ago, I asked an exceptional psychologist friend of mine the main reason why people would come to see her for treatment. Even before I could even finish the sentence, she affirmed in matter-of-fact fashion “Anxiety, of course, César!”.

Anxiety is a feeling of unease, such as fear or worry, that can be mild or severe. Mild anxiety, such as low levels of apprehension, mild muscle tightness and doubts about your ability, may actually improve your performance.  Anxiety levels on this low end of the spectrum may actually motivate you to work harder toward a goal and improve your attention and problem-solving.

For instance, anxiety about an upcoming meeting, presentation or interview will likely drive you to prepare thoroughly.  Normal levels of anxiety can prove to be adaptive and helpful to your everyday life.

On the other side of the spectrum, however, you will find the clinical levels of anxiety.  When your performance rapidly decreases, causing impairment and obvious physiological and recurrent symptoms (sleep problems, panic attacks, nausea, etc.), then you may find that you have a diagnosable anxiety disorder such as phobia, PTSD, obsessive/compulsive, panic or generalised anxiety disorder.

What if you find yourself in the middle of the anxiety spectrum? If you feel that your level of anxiety is becoming a barrier, is no longer adaptive and is hindering your performance, then I urge to act before your chronic anxiety grows steadily into a clinically diagnosable anxiety disorder.  The smart course of action is to start using evidenced-based strategies that will help you bring your anxiety back to the adaptive, low end of the spectrum.

Here are a few evidence-based options to keep your anxiety in check:

1.-Practice mindfulness.- Whether in the form of daily 10-minute meditation practice or any other techniques that can help you focus on the present moment.

2.-Face situations instead of avoiding them.- If you regularly face the things that cause you anxiety (difficult conversations, public speaking, etc.) over time, the anxiety will fade away.

3.-Eat anxiety calming foods.- Choose foods such as complex carbs (quinoa, legumes, vegetables, etc.) which boost serotonin, the calming brain hormone.  Drink plenty of water and limit your alcohol and caffeine consumption (which can cause edginess).

4.-Enjoy physical activity.- Whether in the form of regular exercise, playing sports, walking your dog, taking a power walk with your friends, any kind of activity that gets your body moving, will cause chemical changes in the brain which can positively improve your mood.

5.-Avoid drug therapies if possible.-  If you are not experiencing clinical levels of anxiety, then exhaust all the non-pharmaceutical therapies possible. According to several studies, medications alone are less effective than psychotherapy in the long run.